Shildon Early Years

Sure Start Shildon Children's Centre Children's Centre, Byerley Road, SHILDON, County Durham, DL4 1HN

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/06/2013 Not Applicable

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

p.1

This provision is outstanding

 Children acquire exceptional early language skills for their age. This is because staff provide activities, opportunities and experiences which significantly enhance their speech, language and communication.  Children make outstanding progress as a result of staff awareness of individual needs and precise assessment and planning for all children.  Children are excited and motivated to learn as staff have excellent knowledge of how young children learn and provide rich, varied and imaginative educational programmes.  The managers and senior members of staff monitor all aspects of practice and are constantly striving for excellence. As a result, staff demonstrate exceptional practice, which is worthy of disseminating to other settings.  Secure emotional attachments are seen throughout the nursery as a result of the inspirational interactions between staff and children.  Children's needs are quickly identified, and exceptionally well met through the robust

p.1

This provision is outstanding

and effective partnerships between parents, the adjoining children's centre and external providers.

p.1

Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

p.2

Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a tour of the nursery.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed play and learning activities and spoke to staff and children in both rooms of the nursery.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out an interview with the manager and looked at and discussed a range of policies and procedures.

p.2

Information about the setting

Shildon Children's Centre Nursery was registered in 2006 on the Early Years Register. It operates from within Shildon Children's Centre in the Shildon area of County Durham. It is managed by Durham County Council. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There are fully enclosed areas available for outdoor play.

p.3

Information about the setting

The nursery employs 14 members of staff who all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including the manager who also holds a level 6 qualification. The nursery is open Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 54 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery provides a wrap-around service for children attending Timothy Hackworth Primary School.

p.3

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 enhance further the already good opportunities for the youngest children to develop early reading skills by creating an outdoor environment rich in print where they can learn about words, for example, using names, signs and posters.

p.3

who attend

Staff have excellent understanding of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and use this very well to support children in their learning. All staff respond exceptionally well to children's emerging needs and guide their development through positive interaction. As a result, children thoroughly enjoy the time they spend at the nursery and are excited and motivated to learn. For example, they show high levels of fascination when exploring in the woodland area outdoors and use magnifiers to look closely at objects they have found. Children lead their own play and staff are highly skilled in supporting their development and inspiring their learning. Staff seek to discover what children are interested in and know how to plan meaningful and playful activities which effectively supports their learning. Staff provide a wealth of natural resources, in the indoor and outdoor areas, which are accessible and open-ended. This enables children to

p.3

who attend

make independent choices from the selection available and allows them to use, move and combine objects in a variety of ways. Children develop their physical skills when they balance along milk crates and move small wooden planks to make ramps. They change direction to avoid colliding with others, travelling with confidence and skill over the equipment.

p.3

who attend

The quality of teaching is excellent and, as a result, all children make outstanding progress in their learning. Staff ensure each area of learning and development is implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity. For example, small group activities are provided for older children with targeted learning intentions to support the individual needs of all children. This means they are exceptionally well prepared to move onto the next level of their learning. Children's language and literacy skills are given utmost priority and they are provided with highly innovative experiences which actively contribute towards this development. Staff demonstrate first class teaching when they incorporate popular children's stories into their play. For example, older children excitedly call out the names of animals they see when they walk through their pretend jungle. Consequently, children build their vocabulary and

p.4

who attend

become highly confident talkers. Staff support very young children and babies equally well. They encourage them to expand on what they say, introducing and reinforcing the use of more complex sentences. For example, when children say, 'Spade', staff reply 'Yes, a blue spade'. Staff ensure children have 'thinking time' and wait for them to think about what they want to say and put their thoughts into words. As a result, children show exceptional expressive language skills for their age.

p.4

who attend

Children are well supported in acquiring early literacy skills. Staff encourage them to sing familiar rhymes and songs and help them to join in with words and phrases. Very young children and babies show exceptional skills for their age when they cooperate with their peers when singing action songs. For example, they laugh and giggle when they are pulled back and forth when rowing their boat. Children enjoy looking at books independently and enjoy cuddling into their key person in the outdoor area and listen to their favourite stories. Overall, the environment is rich in print and children learn about words through a variety of means. However, there is scope to enhance children's reading skills even further by introducing more vocabulary, signs and posters in the outdoor environment accessed by the youngest children.

p.4

who attend

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are exceptionally well supported and make rapid progress based on their starting points. This is because staff and other professionals meet their learning and development needs exceedingly well. Assessment is rigorous and all staff make accurate observations and plan for individual children's learning and development needs. Progress is tracked and staff are highly confident in identifying individual strengths and weaknesses. Children have individual learning journey files which contain photographs and observations. All information is linked to the guidance document, Development matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage, and clearly shows next steps in learning for each child. Children's learning at home is given utmost priority and parents share their children's learning at home on a regular basis. This builds on what parents know and already do with their child, and supports their confidence and knowledge in how

p.4

who attend

to extend and strengthen the early home learning environment. Parents spoken to during the inspection describe how they value this opportunity to plan together and think through ideas of how to move their child forward.

p.4

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The manager and staff provide a welcoming, safe and secure environment for children and demonstrate outstanding practice in meeting their individual physical and emotional needs. Excellent care practices are demonstrated which ensure all children, especially very young babies and those in need of additional support, make secure attachments. Children show how content they are when they fall asleep as soon as they are picked up and cuddled in by staff. Children enjoy relationships that are warm, close and supported and have their feelings and emotions acknowledged and accepted. They settle very quickly and separate from parents with ease. Staff are highly skilled when comforting those children who become upset. For example, when children become distressed following administration of eye drops, staff quickly praise them and award stickers for bravery. This enables them to happily return to their play, knowing their feelings have been recognised.

p.5

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Highly effective settling-in procedures are in place and children visit the nursery with their parents before they begin attending. Staff obtain very detailed information on entry and parents complete 'All About Me' documentation. This ensures continuity in children's physical and emotional well-being and enables children's individual routines and preferences at home to be maintained. The support given to children when they change between rooms within the nursery is managed extremely well. Staff consider the needs of each child and make additional visits with children to their new room, where appropriate. Children are equally well supported when they transfer to Timothy Hackworth Primary School, which is located within very close proximity to the nursery building. Relationships between the nursery and school staff are well-embedded and there are a number of initiatives in place to support children when they move into the school. This helps to

p.5

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

improve the communication and coordination between professionals, practitioners and families, especially when children experience significant challenges and barriers to learning.

p.5

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The manager and her staff team consistently give the highest priority to the safety of children and effectively support children's growing awareness of how to keep themselves safe. Children recognise safety issues and demonstrate this as they play. For example, when they need extra water for the paddling pool they carefully fill buckets using the outdoor tap and carry them back, avoiding others and equipment as they walk. Staff encourage children to take risks and challenges as they explore their surroundings. They are actively encouraged to use open-ended resources such as milk crates to follow their interests and climb trees, closely watched by vigilant staff. Very young children crawl in and out of a large sand area outdoors and pull themselves up onto crates and boxes. As a result, children show high levels of confidence during activities. Children behave exceptionally well in the nursery. They show care for others and the environment and

p.5

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

have excellent understanding of the boundaries and behavioural expectations set. This is because staff set, explain and maintain clear and consistent limits so that children can play feeling safe and secure. The rationale of boundaries and expectations within the nursery are shared with parents to maintain a joint approach.

p.5

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Staff give consistently clear messages to children to ensure they are developing an excellent understanding of why it is important to have a healthy diet. A range of fresh, healthy foods are offered to children at meal and snack times, including fruit, pasta, meat and vegetables. Very young children demonstrate superb independent skills for their age when they select their own food and pour their own milk and water, with support from staff. Independence is further promoted when children access the bathroom, meet their own personal needs and collect paper towels to dry the dolls they have been washing in the outdoor area. The environment, both indoors and outdoors, is organised effectively and resources are well labelled and displayed to ensure children are able to find and return what they need. Children's health and well-being is exceptionally well promoted in the outdoor area where daily opportunities are provided for children to explore, use their

p.5

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

senses, and be physically active and exuberant. Wellington boots are provided and children show great excitement about being outdoors in all weathers. For example, they run around the woodland area and call out 'We're explorers' before running off to collect more objects in their bags.

p.6

provision

Leadership is inspirational. The manager demonstrates first class commitment to improving all children's learning and development and welfare. She leads a team of well- qualified, experienced and highly motivated staff who demonstrate an enthusiasm for their work with a clear commitment to enhancing the lives of all children. As a result, morale is very high and they clearly enjoy working in the nursery. Staff have an excellent understanding of the learning and development requirements. The manager and senior room leaders monitor the quality of educational programmes exceptionally well through regular observation of practice and ongoing discussions with staff and other professionals working closely with children. Observation, assessment and planning documentation is monitored to make sure it is consistent, precise, and displays an accurate understanding of all children's skills, abilities and progress. The manager and deputy maintain a highly

p.6

provision

comprehensive overview of progress tracking documentation. This ensures children's needs are quickly identified and exceptionally well met through excellent partnerships between the setting, parents and external agencies.

p.6

provision

High quality professional supervision is provided, based on consistent and sharply focussed evaluations of the impact of staff's practice. This ensures staff are well supported and benefit from an effective programme of professional development arising from individual staff needs. As a result, staff are constantly improving and understanding their practice. Qualified teacher and consultant support is received from the local authority which further strengthens the staff team. Comprehensive recruitment and induction arrangements are in place. Consequently, all staff hold appropriate qualifications and have a very clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

p.6

provision

Children's welfare and well-being are exceptionally well promoted because there is a comprehensive awareness of safeguarding issues among the adults in the nursery, all of whom receive regular training on safeguarding. Robust policies and procedures are implemented consistently to ensure all concerns are prioritised and dealt with effectively. All staff know what steps to take if they are concerned about a child and know who to contact for additional support and advice. Staff make highly effective use of up-to-date risk assessments to support them in ensuring all areas used by children are safe.

p.6

provision

Self-evaluation is excellent and is extremely well focussed on achieving and sustaining high quality outcomes for children. The staff team, parents, children and local authority advisors are involved in the process. Actions taken by the setting are implemented with precision and managed thoroughly. There are clear plans for the future which aim to significantly extend the range of children's experiences and enhance their language and literacy development. For example, during the summer term, children and staff will take part in a project called 'Over and Over' led by a local centre for children's books.

p.7

provision

Partnerships with parents are exceptional. They take an active part in their child's learning and are involved in decision-making on key matters. For example, they take part in interviews for staff recruitment. Parents use words such as 'fantastic' and 'brilliant' when describing the relationships between staff and children and the quality of educational programmes provided. Partnerships with Timothy Hackworth Primary School are equally well established and significantly enhance children's all-round development. Partnerships with external agencies and other professionals are superb. The manager and staff work exceptionally well with practitioners in the attached children's centre and effectively use advice to provide targeted interventions to meet the specific needs of individual children.

p.7

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

p.8

Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

p.8

Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.9

Setting details

Unique reference number EY319462 Local authority Durham Inspection number 820509

p.9

Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 29 Number of children on roll 54 Name of provider Durham County Council Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 03000 266383

p.9

Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

p.9

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.9

Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

p.9

Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

p.9

Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.10

Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

p.10

Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.11

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.11